For the sake of the environment

MTBE

In 1976, the same year as the introduction of the ban on the use of lead compounds as antiknock agents in benzene, Chemische Werke Hüls AG launched MTBE for use in lead-free gasoline. In the first year of production alone, the Marl plant produced 50,000 tons of this compound. MTBE stands for methyl-tertiary-butylether. It is a clear, colorless liquid that is miscible, in any ratio, with all organic solvents and hydrocarbons.

Today, the product is manufactured and sold under the brand name DRIVERON^® by OXENO Olefinchemie GmbH in Marl; this company is part of the C₄-Chemistry Division of Degussa AG.

Used as an antiknock additive in fuels for spark ignition engines, MTBE produces a significant increase in the octane number and, as an oxygenate, helps to optimize combustion in the engine.

Further information:

• www.oxeno.com
• www.efoa.org